The 18-year-old only got to know her horse four days ago after all the riders tried the mounts before names were pulled out of a hat.
Gold was always on her mind but Fraser had to weigh that up with the unpredictable demeanour of horses - "one day they can be on a high and the next rock bottom".
Her parents, Karen and Donald Fraser, and sister Hannah, 15, were among the spectators in Nanjing to clap and cheer her on to victory in her first and only Youth Olympics. She'll be too old for the next one in four years.
The dairy-farming family moved from Takapau to Feilding last October because "my father lived in Waipuk all his life and wanted a change of scenery" and because she is contemplating going to university in Palmerston North after completing her final Year 13 at Feilding Agricultural High School.
On first round of the competition, nine riders registered clear rounds.
But only four made the blemish-free cull in the next round.
"I was clear throughout the competition," she said, having to go first in the jump-off which didn't help her jangled nerves despite oozing confidence in the ability of her mount.
When the dust settled in a test of speed and precision against the clock, Fraser and Exilio were left standing tall on a time of 35.75 seconds.
Martina Campi, of Argentina, was breathing down their necks on 39.95s while Jake Hunter, of Australia, took bronze with 40.37.
"I was first out of the jump and then I just had to wait to see if the others made mistakes."
They most certainly did as the organisers altered the course from 14 fences in round one to eight in the second.
"It's awful when you think about it but that's how it is."
The stifling heat and humidity gave her lungs a good workout.
"I find it quite hard to breathe here. You can't even see blue skies here because there's always smog in the city."
Fraser lauded chef d'equipe and trainer Maurice Beatson, of Dannevirke, for preparing her.
"He's a man of very few words but I understand the way he teaches," she said of the Olympian and multi-Horse of the Year champion rider who adopts an aggressive stance.
"He's definitely moulded my riding style and made me what I am today."
The Frasers celebrated the gold at a restaurant/bar with the Hunter family as well as a South African rider, Alexa Stais, and her coach.
The 13-day games, involving 3800 athletes aged between 15-18 years competing in more than 28 codes, ends on Thursday.
"I'm going to do some sightseeing and watch the other Kiwis perform before returning home on August 30," said Fraser, indebted to her teachers for helping her catch up with her studies.
She hopes to ride in Europe for five months after finishing school before committing to a degree in perhaps science or sports science.
The Caryn Paewai-coached NZ women's hockey 5 repelled a South Africa comeback to win 4-3 and earn the right to play Uruguay in the 5th-6th playoff game at 9.30pm today (NZ time).
Ten nations are competing in the games in two pools of five.
The Kiwi men, including the Bay's Dylan Thomas and Matt Wilcox, were playing last night in their classification game.
In the women's finals, Argentina play Japan for bronze while China face the Netherlands for gold today.
